Metal container



y 30, 1933- J. J. ENGELMAN 1,912,266

METAL CONTAINER Filed Dec. 1, 1930- 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 30, 1933.

J. J. ENGELMAN I METAL CONTAINER Filed Dec. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES earner orriee JOSEPH J. ENGELMAN, OFCHICAGO,

ILLINOIS; ASSIGNOR T CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, INC., OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.,A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK METAL CONTAINER Application filed December 1,1930. Serial No. 499,366.

'The invention relates to new and useful improvements in metalcontainers and more particularly to the manner of formlng the seams forjoining the parts of the container.

An object of the invention is to provide a container wherein the sideseam form ng the body, as well as the end seams o1n1ng the ends to thebody, are all formed by an interfolding of the metal parts without theuse of '10 any solder bond for joining the parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the abovecharacter wherein a plastic sealing material is lnterfolded with themetal parts so as to hermetically seal all of the seams of thecontainer. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a container embodying theinvention and with parts broken away to show the end seams.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, with parts broken away to show theside seam in section.

3 is a view of the blank as it is notched and shaped for forming thebody.

Fig. 4 is an edge view showing the formation of the reverse folds in thebody blank preparatory to the uniting of the ends of the blank.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank shown 1n Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the preliminary interlocking of the parts toform the side seam.

Fig. 7 is a view of the side seam from the inside of the can before thecan is flanged.

Fi 8 is a view showing the can body flanged and the cover appliedthereto.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view showing the finished end seam.

In carrying out the invent-ion, the body of the container is formed froma metal blank, the ends of which are notched so that the ends of theside seam in the region where the body is to be flanged, will includeonly a single lapping of the metal parts. One end of the blank isreversely folded inwardly at a distance back from the extreme edge ofthe blank. This forms a hook with a part extending from the end thereofin a direction parallel with the plane of the blank. The to outer edgeof this projecting part is folded back upon itself for a short distance,thus forming oppositely disposed, hooks. The other edge of the blank islikewise formed with a reverse fold forming a hook with anedgeportionjextending therefrom in the general direction of the plane ofthe blank. This edge portion is not folded back upon itself. When theends of the blanks are joined the end having the projecting portion, theouter edge of which is unbent, is nested within the portion having theoppositely disposed hooks. The interlocked parts of the side seams arepreferably formed on the inside of the can. These interlocking parts arecoated with a plastic sealing material and after the parts areinterlocked, they are bumped together, thus forming a very tighthermetic side seam. The can body is then flanged, after which the endsare secured thereto by double seaming or interfolding the flange of theend with the flange on the can body. Here again a plastic sealingmaterial is used with the interfolded parts so as to form a hermeticseam.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the invention is shown asembodied in a container comprising a body portion 1, which is made froma blank 2. The blank is provided with a notch 3 at one end thereof andwith spaced notches 4 and 5 forming a tongue 6 therebetween. One end ofthe blank 2 is provided with a fold? in which the metal is bent back ofthe blank and a fold 8 in which the metal is bent outwardly awayfrom thebody of the blank and providing an edge portion 9. This is a reversefolding of the metal forming a hook 8a and a portion 9 extendingtherefrom which, in the final interlocking of the edges, is parallelwith the plane of the body of the container. The other edge of the blankis bent back upon itself at 10 and thence bent outwardly at 11 formingan extending edge portion 12, the outer part of which is bent backwardat 13. This provides a hook in the portion 13 that is adapted to engagethe hook 8a when the metal parts of the ends of the blank areinterlocked. The projecting portion 9 lies housed within the metal partsat the other end of the blank and preferably extends all the way acrossand is clamped by the metal parts at the fold 11. As shown in Fig. 6 theportions of the blank are united by these interfolded parts which lie onthe inside of the container. One end of the blank is in hooked form andextends about a hook formed in the other blank back from the extremeedge thereof. The inner or housed hook has an extension extending acrossthe meeting. folds 7 and 10 and is clamped between the parts'of themetal forming the fold 11. Some portion of these metal parts arepreferably coated with plastic sealing material 14 so that when theparts are interfolded and pressed tightly into contact with each other,a hermetic seam is produced. In Fig. 6 of the drawings the parts areshown as interlocked and partly folded against each other while in Fig.2 they are forced into intimate contact and the seam is completed.

Theican body formed as above described has the portions thereof beyondthe interlocking parts in the side scam in single overlapped relation.In other words, the walls of thebody of the can are substantially inabutted relation and the tongue 6 overlaps the adjacent edges of thebody walls. The body thus formed is provided with the usual flan e andthe end 16 is secured thereto by a double seam 17. In Fig. 8 of thedrawings the flange on the can body 1 is indicated at 19 and the end isprovided with a flange curled at 20 to form a channel. A plastic sealingmaterial 18 is preferably placed in this channel on the end and then theparts are rolled together was toform the double seam 17. The lower end21 is joined to the body 1 of the container by a similar double seam 22.The can as shown in the drawings has a nozzle closed by a screw cap 23and this nozzle is joined to the end 16 by an interfolding of the partsas indicated at 24:. Here again a plastic sealing material is used sothat the entire can is free from any solder bond and may be described asa solderless can. All of the joints are formed by the interfolding ofmetal parts and when a plastic sealing material is used, each sea-m willbe a hermetic seam and the container one that can be hermeticallyclosed.

The side seam joining the ends of the body blank is the particular novelfeature in this container. It is a very strong seam in which theinterfolded relation of the parts will not be disturbed, even if thecontainer is placed under vacuum or under pressure. A strain on themetal parts tending to separate and break the seam is resisted not onlyby the interlocked hook portions but also by the 4 extended edge portionwhich is housed and clamped by the inner fold in the edge portion of thebody blank. When the parts are properly bumped together, the folds 7 and10 on the outer face of the seam are substantially in contact, thusmaking a container which has practically no projecting side seam and onewherein the decorating or lithographing of the outer face of thecontainer may be practically continuous all the way to the edges ofthese meeting shoulders. By this interlocking of the metal parts to forma side seam without the use of solder, no heat is necessary to completethe seam and therefore the lacquered metal parts are in no way injuredby the forming of the side.

seam.

It will be obvious from the above description of the side seam, that theplate for forming the body may beplain, tinned, coated, lacquered orotherwise prepared from iron or metal alloy, depending upon therequirement of the contents for which the container is made or thedesire of the purchaser.

The outer surface of the container may be prepared prior to the formingof the body or after the body is formed and the edges seamed together. I

"While I have shown a container which is rectangular in cross section,with rounded corners, it is understood it may be shaped in any desiredway. While I have shown a container having a nozzle, it will beunderstood this may be omitted and the container closed in any desiredway as by attaching one of the ends thereto after the container has beenfilled with the product to be stored therein. I

. It is also obviousthat minor changes in the shaping and arranging ofthe'parts of the side seam may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A container comprising a body portion and ends double seamed thereto,said body portion having the side seam formed by the interlocking offolded edge portions of the body blank, one of said edge portions beingfolded inwardly away from the centerof' the side seam, thence forwardlytoward the center of the side seam and across the same to the oppositeside thereof, and thence backwardly and outwardly approximately to thecenter of the side seam, the other edge portion being folded inwardlyand away from the center of the side seam and thence forwardly towardthe center of the side seam and across the same to the other sidethereof, said folded portions being dimensioned so that the shouldersformed by the first folding of the edge portions of the body blank areadjacent each other and so that said last named folded side portion maybe housed within the first named folded side portion and will extend allthe way across the side seam contacting at its edge with the first namedfolded side portion, whereby pressure tending to separate the shouldersor force the shoulders toward each other and unhook the interlockingportions, will be restrained by said interlocking portions and a plasticsealing material within said interlocking portions.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH J. ENGELMAN.

